As the Wheeler’s Turn

Uncle Marc come to visit and look for jobs at Siggraph.  We tried to convince him to move down by us but I don’t think it’s going to work.  We don’t blame him.  We’d live in Washington if we could too.  Good luck with the job search and thanks for having fun with us for a few days! You can check out Marc’s demo reel here.  He’s an animator.

We picked up Grandma Wheeler and Emma on Thursday night.  Kaden was so excited he told them, "Don’t go back to airport."  over and over again for two days.  Then he settled into them being here and just enjoyed them.  He adores Emma and would not let her out of his sight.  Emma was AWESOME with him and played and played and played.  It was wonderful.  Emma, you can come and live with us anytime!  I’m afraid the weather here did not cooperate and it was way toooooo hot!  We are talking upper 90s lower 100s. Our Seattle relatives were used to the 50s and were very uncomfortable even when we had the house air-conditioned to a nice 75-76 degrees.  We had three to four computers and the tv going in the front room though which warmed it up a bit much.  Anyway- we had to find air conditioned or water activities to help cool us down. 

Friday we went to the LA Museum of Natural History.  We had heard about these amazing dinosaur puppets that they have which look lifelike.  Sadly the show did not live up to our expectations.  Kaden left the room crying because he did not get to touch the dinosaur.  I guess it could have been worse- he could have been scared.  I think the show would have been cooler if it was the T-rex instead of the stegosaurus. It was a baby stegosaurus too.   The lighting wasn’t very good either which was annoying.

Kaden enjoyed looking at all of the exhibits though and they have an awesome discovery center in the basement with all kinds of creepy crawlies and some good hands on activities.

Ok so this next picture needs some major photoshop work but I haven’t had time to do it yet and I think it is pretty hilarious as it is currently.

Click on it to blow it up and check out Asher’s demon red eyes glaring down the nose picking Kaden with disgust (curiosity is probably more like it but still- funny!)

Saturday we took it easy.  The girls and Asher did a little shopping while Matt fixed Grandma’s laptop and Kaden took a nap.  Emma and I found some cute back to school clothes :).  We went out to eat at Yolanda’s - Yummy Mexican in honor of Matt and my b-day.  Thanks Brett and Gayle for yummy dinner! Sunday I hd to do the sharing time presentation with my class.  I wrote up some plays for them to act out to illustrate applying the scriptures to their lives.  Even the little ones paid close attention and my class loved doing it!  Woohoo! success.  We spent the rest of Sunday inside because it  was so hot and Matt wasn’t feeling so hot.  Some strange virus has caused his ankles to swell up and it could last for 4-6 weeks!!!  Good thing he has a desk job. Emma and I made earrings and other jewelry and watched So You Think You Can Dance Australia. 

Asher update!  He is now officially rolling over from back to front and occasionally from front to back.  Kaden learned to roll when Grandma Wheeler was here (when Kaden was 3 months) too! 

On Monday we went to the Beach at Ventura Harbor.  It is a very protected harbor with the perfect size waves for a toddler- meaning almost non-existent.  The water felt great and it was much cool there than at home. Emma even did handstands in the water.  A family in my ward let my borrow their beach tent so Asher and Grandma stayed well protected.  I also took Asher out in my Sling for a bit.  He didn’t get wet at all but I got my legs wet and he stayed protected by the solar veil material.  Kaden loved digging holes and chasing sea gulls and splashing in the water- all with Emma!  His happiness at the beach is contagious.

Proof for Grandpa that even Grandma got in the water and liked it. 

I just got back from Michigan.  Here is the bright spot of my trip.  My Asher got to meet my cousin Kathy’s baby boy.  He’s a month and a half older than Asher.  They are obviously going to be good friends.  They cheered everybody up all weekend.  Here’s your bubbe fix. 

My favorite sentiment expressed at Jeff’s funeral was that he knew how to live.  He was a hard worker; he accomplished whatever he set his mind to accomplish; he loved unconditionally;  he sought out opportunities to help those that he loved; and he was always smiling and enjoying himself.  I hope to honor his memory by following his example and raising my boys to be like him.  We enjoyed a lot of laughter and a lot of tears remembering him.  I know he is still watching over us and hopefully we can keep him smiling and proud. 

My cousin passed away this morning.  I’ve been bawling off and on all day.  I am crying for the things he didn’t get to do yet and for the time that we will miss with him.  I look forward to being reunited with him someday because I believe Families can be together forever.  We grew up together in Michigan.  So many of my childhood memories are of us cousins hanging out together.  When we were little Jeff and I thought we were going to grow up and get married. 

Jeff is a total sweetheart.  He always made me feel special.

   He was always taking care of people.   Once I was talking to him about some health issue I had (something minor but I was probably exaggerating it) and how I should probably go to the doctor but we  didn’t have the money (my hubbie and I were poor newlyweds- well we are still poor but definitely better off than at the beginning :)).  He was so concerned and offered to send me the money.  I reassured him that I was exaggerating but I was really touched by his concern and his willingness to help out. 

  When my grandpa first met Kaden and Kaden babbled at him, my grandpa told me stories of Jeff when he was that age babbling and telling jokes.  My grandpa’s eyes lit up as he remembered him.  He was so impressed with Jeff’s jokes and conversations that had no words (because he couldn’t talk yet)  but tons of content.  It was so cool to get a glimpse of how my grandpa felt about his first grandchild, Jeff,  and his first great-grandchild, Kaden.  

  Jeff and his sister Kathy taught me about popular music.  My parents are big fans of music but they kept it to Barbara Streisand, Oldies, and Mousercize around us kids at that time.  I remember listening to the Beastie Boys Paul Revere with Jeff and Kathy. i think I may have heard Jeff’s version before I heard the Beastie Boys’ version.   I also remember them having my dad listen to Midnight Oil and he liked it.   I still love the Beastie Boys because of them. 

  Jeff was the cool older cousin who got to drive.  He would chase us around my grandparent’s property on a motorcycle.  We would scream and run but we knew he wouldn’t ever actually catch us or run over us.  He also hooked up a trailer to the mower?/ tractor? and took us on rides.  Well, he did that at least once I think.  There’s a picture and I remember riding in the trailer.  Later when I came back to visit he drove me around.  At one point he even lost a hubcap on a tight corner. :)  He loved to drive fast.  He loved cars too. I remember him telling me all about his Porsche.  I didn’t understand most of it because I am ignorant but I loved his enthusiasm and was excited for him.   

After I moved away our communication grew more sporadic but whenever I talked to Jeff again he made me feel special.  I will always look up to him and respect him.  I appreciate that he made a special point of coming out to my wedding.  I am thankful that I got to see him in June at Chad’s wedding and that he got to meet both of my boys.  He watched Kaden for me outside at Chad’s Wedding reception so that I could get something to eat.  He came to my parent’s house with his girlfriend to see us without all of the crowds (even though he was only there a few days) and he got the biggest smiles from Asher.  I hope he knew how special he was to me.  He will always be a part of me and who I am because of who he was.

My Asher is a smart boy and knows a good man when he sees one. 

We bought a mattress for the bottom bunk and moved it into Kaden’s room yesterday.  Mom had to do the every 3 months(for Asher) and every 6 months (for Kaden) sort of all their clothes to store what no longer fits.  We had to rearrange a lot of furniture to make his new bed fit too.  Kaden was very excited to get into his car bed last night.  Amazingly he did not get out of it until 6:30 this morning(much too early but I don’t think it will be a habit).  He had a harder time getting to sleep and asked for Matt and I a couple times.  We would go in and cuddle with him in his bed for a little bit but we always left while he was still awake.  He never tried to get out of bed and eventually fell asleep.  He was so sweet.  One of the times I was in there with him he grabbed my face and said, "Mama go to sleep."  Anyway we are proud to say that on his first night in a big boy bed he slept through the night and fell asleep on his own.  His nap time today was a different story.  We had to stick him in his crib a few times to get the idea in his head that it was naptime.  Eventually he fell asleep in his big boy bed but it took some insisting on our part.  I am not excited for this week of naps!  It should be interesting.  Sunday nap is usually a bit rocky anyway, because his normal routine is broken up a bit more, so hopefully today’s nap will not be indicative of this week…We’ll see.  Wish me luck.  Next step the dreaded potty training that I’ve been talking about for a year and putting off…

In other news… When we were driving to Costco earlier this week Kaden told me," Kaden happy."  What music to my ears!  Kaden likes going to Costco.  He also told me he was walking.  Since he was strapped into his carseat at the time I asked him where he was walking and he said, "In the store."  I think he was trying to tell me that  he wanted to walk and not ride in the cart. Thankfully he rode in the cart for me just fine!  Phew! 

Kaden is talking more and more.  It is so much fun to have conversations with him.  Matt likes to talk to him each night about what he did during the day.  Kaden is becoming more and more able to fill in the details.  Today in nursery they were impressed that Kaden could say Hippopotamus. :)  I’ll have to get it on video for you.  They were also impressed with him for not pushing and using his words today.  I guess another girl in Nursery stole his toy.  Usually Kaden would push back and steal it back like any other two year old, today he just told her over and over to "put it (the toy) in the wagon."  :)  My smart boy.  He learned a little about sharing when we were in Washington and he and cousin James had to share cars.  He didn’t have to share his own cars which are a kind of security blanket for him but he did have to share all of Grandma’s cars.  Sometimes he was better at it than other times.  He asks to go see James all the time now so he mustn’t have minded the lessons in sharing too much.

Kaden went right to sleep in his bed tonight with NO fuss and no calling out for us to come and cuddle.  Woohoo!  He is my amazing sleeping boy!  Now just one more month and we can put Asher in his crib in there too.  Woohoo!  Here’s to having our room back to ourselves!    Hmmm scratch that he just woke up crying… well that may have nothing to do with the new bed… I’ll let you know how it goes this week…  Advice is always welcome.  He is our guinea pig after all.

Kaden looked out the window this morning and said," Josh is coming! Josh is coming!"  "Open door!"  I opened the door for him and he ran outside calling for Josh.  When he didn’t see him he said, "Where’d he go?  Go find him."  I am not sure if he is referring to his Uncle Josh, my brother Matt (who he insists on calling uncle Josh), or there is an 11 year old Josh at church who sits with him sometimes.  I brought up Josh’s webpage to see if he recognized him.  He saw the picture of Josh and Emma and answered me that that was "Josh! Uncle Josh and Emma!"  So he does recognize Josh.  I’m still not sure if that’s who he was referring to though.  So Josh ,ready to come visit so Kaden can say Josh is coming for real?

Kaden likes to call people buddies.  Our landlord came over to do some work recently and after he left Kaden said, "where’d buddy go?"  Now picture my tall, bald, and hairy (yes it is possible - think shoulders and arms instead of head) landlord as Kaden’s buddy.  My landlord is very sweet to Kaden despite his Mr. Clean appearance.  He is a Grandpa in reality and at heart. 

He told me very clearly and insistently today, "Go to Grandma’s house, Go see James."  Someday these cousins will be good friends.

SO this is an update and continuation of the earlier conversation with Kaden.  He keeps telling me he wants to go to Grandma’s house.  I told him that we can’t because it is far away and we have to fly on an airplane to get there.  I also told him that Grandma and Emma are going to come see him.  He said,"That’s a good idea."  Later he said,"Go see Josh."  I asked him what he wanted to do with Josh and he said,"Do crazy Josh."   When I told that to Matt he said, "He knows Josh!" 

Kaden tried to get out of taking his nap by asking to go to Grandma’s house too. If Grandma were here it might have worked :).

This morning Kaden was playing with his Duplo.  He decided he was done with the Duplo and wanted to play with the cars.  He started cleaning up his duplo!  He told me, "Help Kaden clean up puzzles."  I helped him put them away and then we went and got his cars out of his bedroom.  I am so proud of him for cleaning up one toy before getting out another! I am so proud of him that it was his idea!

The other day I heard him making his cars talk.  They said, Hi and How are you?  Then they said good bye, see you later, I love you!  Now we just need to work on the beginning of the conversations. 

Last night in the bath he had two pirate toys.  He had one say Hi and the other say Hi, how are you?  Then he made them kiss.  I think Matt and I must do that when he gets home from work- it sounds about right anyway.

Last night he melted my heart.  I came in to take over watching him in the bath while Matt took over a fussy Asher.  Kaden has a large plastic measuring cup as well as smaller measuring cups in there.  He likes to pour water from the smaller measuring cups into the bigger one.  I always make him put the large cup on one of the back corners of the tub so he isn’t spilling water onto the floor and the rug we have in there.  Matt however was not as foresighted and let him put the cup on the outer edge of the tub so there was water all over everywhere.  On seeing the mess I said, "Oh no! You’re Daddy has been letting you do this over here! Bad Daddy!" I moved the large cup to the back corner and put a towel down to soak up the water.  (I know water on the floor is not that big a deal but the rug is  pain to wash and a pain to dry and I don’t need a moldy rug!)  Anyway- here’s the sweet part.  Kaden looked at me and said, "I’m sorry mama.  I’m sorry Dada."  So sweet!  I of course told him that he is wonderful and that I love him. 

Asher is impressive too.  He is amazing the way he studies his hands.  It is so fun to watch.  He is so full of grins and excited wiggles.  He really is a joy.  Yesterday while Kaden and I ate lunch Asher just cooed and cooed and cooed happily away. We got out the Excersaucer last night.  We need to change the setting on it so it’s shorter for him so he can really enjoy it.  I’ll let you know how he likes it. 

He is growing so fast!  He is doing well for his three months:

He is still a very happy baby and quick to smile when you talk to him. 

He loves holding conversations and worships his older brother. 

He grabs the toys that hang down on his toy arc and loves chewing on blankets. 

He is soooo cute when we give him a blanket- a light receiving blanket or waffle blanket- he gets a huge smile on his face and gives a happy wiggle then he grabs the blanket and starts chewing on it. 

Asher can scoot himself around in a circle on his blanket.  So if he is faced away from Kaden and his activities or away from the TV he will scoot himself around until he can see them. 

He can lift his head up well during tummy time.  He enjoys tummy time and gives happy squeals.

He loves to play patty cake with Kaden.  Kaden moves his feet up and down and says most of the words.

Asher is starting to be ticklish.  He has a cute little chuckle/giggle. 

He is fascinated by his hands and loves kicking.

Asher spits up and drools!  Kaden didn’t really do much of either so this is a change for us.

He loves to sleep for long stretches.  If he could he would sleep from midnight until noon.  That doesn’t work so well with mom’s schedule sadly (she is worn out before midnight).  But she is enjoying the sleep from midnight to 8 and things will have to change when school starts again and Mom goes back to work in the morning.    

We LOVE Asher and the brightness he brings to our family.  We look forward to him learning and growing even more!

I tag you to say something in my comments about me… hmmm… well a memory that involves me anyway…

. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It’s actually pretty funny to see the responses.
If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Kaden cracked me up this week. He was on his Potty before he takes his bath. He was trying to go pee and having a hard time. He grunted a few times. Then he looks down and says, “Come on Pee! Come on!” like he’s cheering his pee on at a racetrack.  He looks at me and says, “help me!” I tell him to relax and scratch his back a little. He continues to look down and talk to his Pee trying to coax it out.  I asked him if he wanted to wait and take a bath first but he said no. I guess he knew he had some pee in there somewhere. Eventually he did get a trickle out. He said excitedly like meeting an old friend, “There you are, pee!” And then promptly got in the bathtub. He did it again on Saturday for Matt though it didn’t take him as long to get it out that time. So funny!

Kaden is getting an imagination.  The other day in the kitchen he stopped suddenly and said, "ahhh!  Dinosaur coming!"  He then backed up to me while pretending to be scared. LOL!  He likes to watch commercials on Fisherprice.com for their dinosaurs and pretend to be scared too.  It cracks me up because he squeals and cuddles up and acts scared and then he says, "Do again!"  when it ends.  I think this kid is going to LOVE roller coasters.  He likes controlled thrills. :)  He’s very cautious really.   

We have an Elmo puppet in a soft book.  Kaden likes to play peek a boo with him.  He also likes to share his cars with him.  He wants me to hold the cars and have Elmo play with them and then give them back to him.  I figure it’s a good lesson in sharing for my practically only child.  I really need to set up play dates for him.  We have been sick every other week for the last month and a half so… I’ve been a slacker. Next Monday I can sign him up for August classes at First Five- help me to remember to call first thing in the morning or else they are all filled up!